What can I expect?

What Is a Home Inspection?

A home inspection is an opportunity for the home buyer to get an experienced, non-bias, eye on the house you are considering buying. Home inspectors are like general practitioners (who make house calls). Inspectors evaluate many systems in your home and know what to look for regarding potential problems. Inspectors will give you an evaluation of potential problems, and like a family doctor, will sometimes refer to a specialist such as a plumber, electrician, contractor, or structural engineer.

A home inspection is not a “pass” or “fail” test, but rather to help the home buyer know what they are getting with their house. We won’t tell you to buy, or not buy, or whether the house has nice aesthetics, but we let you know what things you ought to be aware of before you sign that mortgage.

Technically Speaking* (for the attorneys)

A home inspection is a non-invasive, visual examination of the accessible areas of a residential property (as delineated below), performed for a fee, which is designed to identify defects within specific systems and components defined by these Standards that are both observed and deemed material by the inspector. The scope of work may be modified by the Client and Inspector prior to the inspection process.

I. The home inspection is based on the observations made on the date of the inspection, and not a prediction of future conditions.

II. The home inspection will not reveal every issue that exists or ever could exist, but only those material defects observed on the date of the inspection.

*Taken From: InterNACHI Standard of Practice

A Detailed Report

After your home inspection, you will receive a digital report that explains some of the issues that were discovered during the inspection with pictures and easy to understand explanations of what the problem is, why it is a problem, and what it takes to get it fixed. Your report will be sent to you within 24 hours, and usually the same evening as your inspection.

Here is another way of saying it:

A home inspection report shall identify, in written format, defects within specific systems and components defined by these Standards that are both observed and deemed material by the inspector.  Inspection reports may include additional comments and recommendations.